Clamping bar for a guy wire protector



Jan. 3, 1967 D. H. w. FISHER 3,295,875

CLAMPING BAR FOR A GUY WIRE PROTECTOR Filed Jan. 8, 1964 INVENTOR.

DauidJi WTF 116/16 1 ATTORNEY 5 and the aperture.

United States Patent Ofifice 3,295,875 Patented Jan. 3, 1967 3,295,875 CLAMPING BAR FOR A GUY WIRE PROTECTOR David H. W. Fisher, Battle Creek Township, Calhoun County, Mich., assignor to Oliver Electrical Manufacturing Co., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 336,589 Claims. (Cl. 287189.36)

This invention relates to a clamping bar for a guy wire protector of a guy wire assembly, and more particularly to such a clamping bar for the lower end of a guy wire protector.

Guy wire protectors are conventionally attached by various clamping arrangements to guy wire assemblies to make them visible to ground traffic. Existing clamps have a most serious drawback in that the clamps bend at their tapped hole when subjected to excessive stress as by overtightening, thus causing the clamp to lock solidly to the bolt threads and'thus become non-removable.

An object of this invention is to provide a clamping bar which may be removably attached to a guy wire protector even after excessive pressure of over-tightening is applied.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive clamping bar which can be optionally clamped upon guy wires or anchor rods of widely varying sizes of each.

In accordance with this invention the clamping bar has a threaded aperture at one end for securement to the protector. A pair of prongs on the clamping bar press the anchor rod against the protector and away from the weakened section of the clamping bar between the prongs The weakened section is formed by notching the sides of the clamp plate and the prongs are formed by bending the sides at the notches. Advantageously, the notches thus not only form a weakened section, but also provide a convenient means for forming the prongs. If the clamping bar is subjected to undue stress as over-tightening it bends at its weakened section. The clamping bar is thereby maintained removable. The end of the bar remote from the aperture may be bent to provide a lip which cooperates with the prongs in engaging the anchor rod between them.

Novel features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view in elevation of an embodiment of this invention clamped to an anchor rod;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in elevation of an embodiment of this invention clamped to a guy wire;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken through FIG. 1 along the line 3-3;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken through FIG. 2 along the line 44;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a blank for forming the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a finished clamp bar made from the blank shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the clamping bar shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side view in elevation of the guy wire protector shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 9 is a front inside view in elevation of the guy wire protector shown in FIG. 8.

In FIG. 1 is shown a guy wire protector 10 of the type disclosed in US. Letters Patent 3,007,557 which is installed upon a guy wire assembly 12 including guy wire 14, anchor rod 16 which is secured within the ground; and a wire fastening assembly 18 which secures the looped end 20 of guy wire 14 to the eye 22 of rod 16, As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, guy wire protector 10 includes an open-sided elongated sleeve 30, having a series of axially aligned apertures 47 and a pair of axially displaced apertures 48 and 49, a top fastening means 32 of the type disclosed and claimed in commonly assigned copending application S.N. 35,261, filed June 10, 1960 and lower fastening means or clamping bar 34.

As shown in FIG. 5, clamping bar 34 is made from a substantially rectangular blank having notches at both sides to provide a narrow intermediate portion 36 and an aperture 38 at one end. Bar 34 is conveniently made from a blank of inch steel that is two inches wide and two and one-half inches long. The clamping bar is formed by bending the opposite end to form a lip 40, as shown in FIG. 7, and two prongs 42 and 44 are formed by bending corners 41 and 43 adjacent the notches. Aperture 38 is then tapped to cooperate with bolt or cap screw 46.

When clamping bar 34 is used to secure anchor rod 16 to guy wire protector 10, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, prongs 42 and 44 cooperate with lip 40 to hold anchor rod 16 against guy wire protector 10 after bolt 46 has been fastened to clamping bar 34 through tapped hole 48 in the guy wire protector and aperture 38 in the clamping bar. Prongs 42 and 44 maintain anchor rod 16 away from weakened section 36 which permits the weakened section to bend. If clamping bar 34 is subjected to excessive stress as for example by over-tightening of bolt 46, the clamping bar bends at weakened section 36 and not through tapped hole 38-, which would bind about bolt 46 if bent through it. Thus clamping bar 34 remains removable even when it is bent.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the same clamping bar 34 is alternatively used to secure guy wire 14 to guy wire protector 10. Clamping bar 34 is turned over so that its flat surface 50 presses against guy wire 14. Fastening bolt 46 is inserted through protector aperture 49 and is secured to guy wire 34 by being placed through the loop made by guy wire 14. Guy wire 14 thus straddles both sides of fastening bolt 46. As in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, if clamping bar 34 is subjected to excessive pressure, it bends in its intermediate weakened portion 36 and not through tapped hole 38. Thus the same clamping bar 34 can be used interchangeably for anchor rods or guy wires, and can additionally be used to secure such guy wires and anchor rods throughout a Wide range of sizes and shapes.

What is claimed is:

1. A clamping bar for securing a guy wire and anchor rod assembly to a guy wire protector comprising a plate, one end of said plate having an aperture for receiving a fastener for attaching said plate to said guy wire protector, said plate having notches at the sides of its central portion to provide a weakened section, and a pair of prongs at said notches for holding said assembly away from said notched central portion and against said protector whereby any bending in said plate is concentrated at said central portion when excessive pressure is applied thereto to prevent bending through said aperture and binding to said fastener.

2. A clamping bar as set forth in claim 1 wherein said prongs are integral with said plate and are formed by bending the corners of said plate adjacent said notches.

3. A clamping bar as set forth in claim 2 wherein the end of said plate opposite said aperture is bent to provide a lip which cooperates with said prongs in holding said assembly against said protector.

4. A clamping bar set forth in claim 2 wherein said plate is formed from a substantially rectangular blank, and said notches having end sides adjacent said aperture disposed parallel to the ends of said plate and the other sides disposed diagonal to said ends.

5. A clamping bar as set forth in claim 1 wherein said aperture and said fastener comprise screw thread means for attaching said plate to saidguy wire protector.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,166,673 1/1916 Goodfellow 24135 2,264,430 12/1941 Bierce 24135 X 2,304,711 12/1942 Shenton 339266 2,690,545 9/ 1954 Hubbell 339246 3,007,557 11/1961 Price 52-147 3,178,675 4/1965 Gutshall 24-125 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

A. I. BREIER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CLAMPING BAR FOR SECURING A GUY WIRE AND ANCHOR ROD ASSEMBLY TO A GUY WIRE PROTECTOR COMPRISING A PLATE, ONE END OF SAID PLATE HAVING AN APERTURE FOR RECEIVING A FASTENER FOR ATTACHING SAID PLATE TO SAID GUY WIRE PROTECTOR, SAID PLATE HAVING NOTCHES AT THE SIDES OF ITS CENTRAL PORTION TO PROVIDE A WEAKENED SECTION, AND A PAIR OF PRONGS AT SAID NOTCHES FOR HOLDING SAID ASSEMBLY AWAY FROM SAID NOTCHED CENTRAL PORTION AND AGAINST SAID PROTECTOR WHEREBY ANY BENDING IN SAID PLATE IS CONCENTRATED AT SAID CENTRAL PORTION WHEN EXCESSIVE PRESSURE IS APPLIED THERETO TO PREVENT BENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURE AND BINDING TO SAID FASTENER. 